The field of the invention is in the electroluminescent lamp art.
When piloting an aircraft at night, the retention of suitable darkness in the cockpit is important for proper night vision. Generally, the indicator lights used in the aircraft cockpit are selected to be of a wavelength which causes minimum disturbance of the pilot's night vision while still allowing him to read the various indicators and meters which he must observe. The level of background light in the cockpit, however, is not sufficient to permit ready reading of charts, etc., and heretofore it has been necessary for the pilot to use some form of extra light such as a flashlight. However, the conventional flashlight is ill adapted for cockpit use; its shape makes it unstable so that it does not remain in a set position, the light cannot be readily contained within a limited area, and the white light destroys or diminishes the pilot's adaptation to night vision, so that when he looks up from his chart reading his observation of the area surrounding the aircraft is reduced. Night Vision Goggles, such as ITT's Modified Binocular Electronic SU-50, are sometimes used by military pilots during low level terrain-following night flights. These goggles amplify the intensity of both existing light and infrared heat which aids the pilot in his low level mission capability. However, the illumination from the incandescent lights that are used in cockpit displays is also magnified, thereby interfering with the pilot's night vision. In addition, incandescent illumination creates a flared effect when viewed through the goggles which compounds the pilot's vision problem. In an attempt at a quick-fix, some fighter pilots have placed black tape over portions of the cockpit display in an attempt to reduce the amount of emitted light. This, of course, only partially solves the night vision problem while creating the problem of operating the aircraft without being able to read all the indicators.